System, method and apparatus for acoustical frame element

ABSTRACT

A stud for a partition or wall has at least two frame members coupled together by a compliant member formed from a material that increases resilience between the frame members. The coupled frame members form a stud for the partition. The partition has a first stud with rigid first frame members coupled together by the compliant material. A second stud is joined to the first stud to form a frame. The second stud rigid second frame members are coupled together by the compliant material. Boards are joined to the frame on opposite sides thereof to form the partition.

This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent App. No. 61/383,040, filed Sep. 15, 2010, and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Disclosure

The present invention relates in general to the construction of walls and, in particular, to a system, method and apparatus for an acoustical frame element.

2. Description of the Related Art

In the construction of a partition or wall, frame elements of lumber or metal are typically assembled and formed into a frame. Some frame elements are the load bearing members of a wall. Frame elements are usually oriented vertically or horizontally. Vertical frame elements are sometimes called studs, while horizontal frame elements are sometimes called tracks or channels. For interior walls, plasterboard or other wall materials are usually attached to both sides of the frame to form the partition or wall.

During assembly of a wall, the plasterboard is attached to the studs with fasteners such as screws. This construction forms a direct mechanical bridge between the two plasterboard sides and the frame, which has a negative impact on the acoustical performance of the wall. This concern can be been addressed by using mounting tape instead of screws to attach the plasterboard. Mounting tape improves the acoustics since it decouples vibration from the plasterboard to the frame. There are concerns, however, about the fire resistance of the wall since the tape can melt and cause the plasterboard to fall from the frame. Another drawback is the difficulty of repositioning the plasterboard if it has been poorly positioned during installation. Still another problem with using mounting tape as a decoupling mechanism is the presence of dust on the plasterboard and the studs during construction, which decreases the adhesion of the tape and retention of the assembly. Accordingly, improvements in the acoustical performance of partitions and walls based on a more robust system would be desirable.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of a system, method and apparatus for a stud for a partition or wall are disclosed. In some embodiments, the stud comprises at least two frame members coupled together by a compliant member. The compliant member is formed from a material that is softer than that of the frame members. The coupled frame members form a stud for the partition.

In other embodiments, a partition comprises a first stud having a plurality of rigid first frame members coupled together by a compliant member. A second stud is joined to the first stud to form a frame. The second stud has a plurality of rigid second frame members coupled together by another compliant member. Boards are joined to the frame on opposite sides thereof to form the partition.

In still other embodiments, an acoustical partition system comprises an upright stud extending in a substantially vertical orientation. The upright stud has rigid first and second upright frame members coupled together by a compliant member. A support stud extends in a substantially horizontal orientation and is joined to the upright stud to form a frame. The support stud has rigid first and second support frame members coupled together by another compliant member. Boards are joined to the frame on opposite sides thereof to form the partition.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of these embodiments will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the appended claims and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

So that the manner in which the features and advantages of the embodiments are attained and can be understood in more detail, a more particular description may be had by reference to the embodiments thereof that are illustrated in the appended drawings. However, the drawings illustrate only some embodiments and therefore are not to be considered limiting in scope as there may be other equally effective embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a front view of an embodiment of a partition frame having at least one of the studs from FIGS. 2-13;

FIGS. 2-12 are sectional end views of numerous embodiments of a stud shown in a portion of a partition; and

FIG. 13 is an isometric view of another embodiment of a stud in a partition.

The use of the same reference symbols in different drawings indicates similar or identical items.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of a system, method and apparatus for a stud for a partition or wall are disclosed. In this disclosure, the term “stud” generically refers to a frame element that may be oriented in any geometry, such as vertically or horizontally. As shown in FIG. 1, a frame 21 may be formed from a plurality of the studs, such as vertical studs 23 a and horizontal studs 23 b. The studs 23 may be joined together with fasteners, such as nails or screws.

For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 2 each stud 23 may comprise at least two frame members 25, 27 that are coupled together by a compliant member 29. The frame members 25, 27 may be identical to each other, or differ in shape, profile, size, etc. The coupled frame members form the stud for the partition or wall. These embodiments may be suitable for applications using metal studs.

In some embodiments, the compliant member 29 may be formed from one or more layers of material(s). The compliant member 29 is advantageously resilient, dampens the transmission of vibrations between the frame members, and provides lower thermal conductivity for the stud. For example, the compliant member 29 may comprise a resilient foam that may comprise a polymer such as polyvinyl-chloride, polyethylene, acrylic or polyurethane. In other embodiments, the compliant member 29 comprises one or more adhesive layers such as a pressure sensitive adhesive that is acrylic-based, butyl-based, rubber-based, epdm, eva, silicone, nitrile rubber or a hot melt adhesive. In still other embodiments the compliant member 29 may comprise acrylic tape without foam or a tacky gel.

For example, the compliant member may have a density in a range of about 30 kg/m³ to about 600 kg/m³, or about 140 kg/m³ to about 500 kg/m³. The compliant member also may have a porosity in a range of about 10% to about 95%, or about 30% to about 80%. In addition, the compliant member may have a Young's modulus in a range of about 10 kPa to about 5 MPa, at 20° C. and 1 Hz. In other embodiments, the Young's modulus is less than about 10 MPa, at 20° C. and 1 Hz. The standard describing the test method for Young's modulus may comprise ISO 6721-1, 4, 11, 12.

Embodiments equipped with one or more compliant members provide an acoustical improvement over conventional studs. For example, when used on a wall with two layers of ⅝″ gypsum boards on each side and R13 fiberglass batts in the cavity, comparing a metal stud configured in accordance with one embodiment to a conventional metal stud, provides an average improvement of 2 dB below 500 Hz. Moreover, an average improvement of 6 dB is provided above 500 Hz. This provides an overall improvement of 5 STC points.

FIG. 2 illustrates that one embodiment of each frame member 25, 27 has a generally L-shaped sectional profile. Each frame member 25, 27 may have a flange 31 and a web 33. The webs 33 may be substantially parallel to each other, and the flanges 31 substantially parallel to each other, such that the webs 33 are perpendicular to the flanges 31. The webs 33 may be joined together by the compliant member 29 in a shear configuration. The flanges 31 are joined to wall materials or boards 35, such as plasterboard, plywood, oriented strand board (OSB), medium density fiberboard (MDF), etc., with fasteners 37. This design may be suitable for use as a vertical stud. Alternatively, the positions of the long and webs 31, 33 may be reversed, such that the compliant member 29 is located between the flanges 31. In FIG. 3, the frame members 45, 47 may have portions 41 that are equal in length. This design may be suitable for use as a horizontal stud.

In the embodiment of FIG. 4, each frame member 55 may be configured with a generally U-shaped sectional profile. Each frame member 55 may have two flanges 51, 52 and a web 53 connecting the two flanges. The compliant member 29 may be located between one of the flanges 52 of each frame member 55 in a tension-compression configuration. The webs 53 may be substantially parallel to each other with all of the flanges 51, 52 substantially parallel to each other. One flange 51 may have a first length, and the other flange 52 may have a second length that differs from the first length.

FIG. 5 depicts an embodiment where a first frame element 61 has an L-shaped sectional profile with first and second portions 62, 63. A second frame element 64 may have a generally L-shaped sectional profile comprising a large “L” and a small “L.” The large L has a large flange 65 and a large web 66. The small L has a small flange 67 and a small web 68. The large web 66 is connected to the small web 68. The compliant member 29 is located between the second portion 63 of the first frame element 61 and the small flange 67 of the second frame element 64 in a shear configuration. The large flange 65, the small web 68 and the first portion 62 are substantially parallel to each other. The large web 66, the small flange 67, and the second portion 63 are substantially parallel to each other.

Referring now to FIG. 6, the stud 71 may further comprise a third frame element 72. The third frame element 72 may be joined to a first frame element 73 with a first compliant member 29 a, and the third frame element 72 may be joined to a second frame element 74 with a second compliant member 29 b.

Each of the first and second frame elements 73, 74 may have a generally V-shaped sectional profile, while the third frame element 72 may be configured with a generally C-shaped sectional profile. The third frame element 72 has a base portion 75 and wing portions 76 extending diagonally from the base portion 75. The first and second compliant members 29 a, 29 b may be located between respective ones of the wing portions 76 and the first frame elements 73. Each of the first and second frame elements 73, 74 has a web 77 and a flange 78. The first and second compliant members 29 a, 29 b may be joined to the webs 77.

In the embodiment of FIG. 7, each of the first and second frame elements 81, 82 has a generally L-shaped sectional profile. The third frame element 83 is flat. The first and second compliant members 29 a, 29 b are located on a same side of the third frame element 83, are spaced apart from each other as shown, and may attach to webs 84 of the first and second frame elements 81, 82.

In FIG. 8, an embodiment of stud 91 has two frame members 92, 93 having generally V-shaped sectional profiles with a flange 94, a web 95 extending from the flange 94, and a wing portion 96 extending from the web 95. The wing portions 96 may be joined together by the compliant member 29. The flanges 94 may be substantially parallel and the wing portions 96 may be substantially parallel.

The embodiments of FIGS. 9-11 may be suitable for application having studs formed from wood. For example, in FIG. 9 the frame members 101, 102 have a rectangular shape. Each rectangular shape has two short sides 103 and two long sides 105. One long side 105 of each frame member is joined to the compliant member 29 in a tension-compression configuration. The short sides 103 are substantially parallel to each other and the long sides 105 are substantially parallel to each other. In FIG. 9, one frame member 101 has a larger sectional area than the other frame member 102. The respective short sides 103 of the frame members 101, 102 may be co-planar as shown.

In the embodiment of FIG. 10, the frame members 111 have substantially equal sectional areas. The respective short sides 113 of the frame members 111 are not co-planar, such that a gap 115 is defined between respective ones of the plasterboard 35 and frame members 111. The compliant member 29 is located between the frame members 111 in a shear configuration.

FIG. 11 depicts an embodiment of the stud wherein the frame members 121, 123 have generally L-shaped sectional profiles with a flange 125 and a web 127. The flanges 125 may be joined to the compliant member 29 in a shear configuration. The webs 127 may be substantially parallel to each other and the flanges 125 may be substantially parallel to each other.

The webs 127 of each frame member 111 are spaced apart from the flanges 125 of the other frame member 111 by a gap 129. The flanges 125 face each other and the webs 127 face ends of the flanges 125 across the gaps 129.

FIG. 12 is another embodiment that may provide higher resilience while maintaining good stud resistance, such as increased inertia and lower torsional flex. In this version, the compliant member is parsed into at least two separate pieces 29 a, 29 b, such that an air gap 30 extends between them. This embodiment has two frame members 92, 93 having generally V-shaped sectional profiles with a flange 94, a web 95 extending from the flange 94, and a wing portion 96 extending from the web 95. The wing portions 96 may be joined together by the compliant members 29 a, 29 b. The flanges 94 may be substantially parallel and the wing portions 96 may be substantially parallel. Although the compliant member is shown installed in a version of FIG. 8, it may be employed for any of the embodiments disclosed herein.

FIG. 13 depicts an embodiment where the frame members 92, 93 of the stud are scored with pre-cut slits 97. The slits 97 are light or partial cuts on a portion of the stud and do not completely penetrate the stud frame element. Although slits 97 are shown formed on the wing portion 96 of frame member 93, they may be formed in other or multiple locations on the stud. Thus, the slits 97 may be located on one or both frame members in order to maintain adequate structural strength and reduce the risk of injury to those who install the frame members. In addition, the slits 97 may be formed at regular or irregular intervals along the length of the stud. During installation, these pre-cut formations make it easier to cut or trim the stud to fit each application.

In still another embodiment, the studs are installed with the compliant members fully bonding them together to form a wall. After a specific and designed period of time, the compliant members at least partially or fully debond from the vertical frame elements they formerly held together. In some versions, the horizontal studs remain fully bonded. This separation of the frame elements gives the wall even greater acoustic reduction performance.

In other embodiments, a partition or wall comprises a first stud having a plurality of rigid first frame members coupled together by a compliant member. A second stud is joined to the first stud to form a frame. The second stud has rigid second frame members coupled together by another compliant member. The compliant members may be formed from a material that is softer than that of the frame members. The compliant members may also: (a) increase resilience between the frame members, (b) dampen structure-borne acoustic transmissions between the frame members, and (c) have a thermal conductivity that is lower than that of the frame members. Boards are joined to the frame on opposite sides thereof to form the partition. These embodiments may incorporate any of the previously described studs, or combinations of their features.

In still other embodiments, an acoustical partition system comprises an upright stud extending in a substantially vertical orientation. The upright stud has rigid first and second upright frame members coupled together only by a compliant member such that the first and second upright frame members do not make direct physical contact with each other. A support stud extends in a substantially horizontal orientation and is joined to the upright stud to form a frame. The support stud has rigid first and second support frame members coupled together only by another compliant member such that the first and second support frame members do not make direct physical contact with each other. Boards are joined to the frame on opposite sides thereof to form the partition.

This written description uses examples to disclose the embodiments, including the best mode, and also to enable those of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention. The patentable scope is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.

Note that not all of the activities described above in the general description or the examples are required, that a portion of a specific activity may not be required, and that one or more further activities may be performed in addition to those described. The order in which activities are listed is not necessarily the order in which they are performed.

In the foregoing specification, the concepts have been described with reference to specific embodiments. However, one of ordinary skill in the art appreciates that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims below. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of invention.

As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” “including,” “has,” “having” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of features is not necessarily limited only to those features but may include other features not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Further, unless expressly stated to the contrary, “or” refers to an inclusive-or and not to an exclusive-or. For example, a condition A or B is satisfied by any one of the following: A is true (or present) and B is false (or not present), A is false (or not present) and B is true (or present), and both A and B are true (or present).

Also, the use of “a” or “an” are employed to describe elements and components described herein. This is done merely for convenience and to give a general sense of the scope of the invention. This description should be read to include one or at least one and the singular also includes the plural unless it is obvious that it is meant otherwise.

Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described above with regard to specific embodiments. However, the benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any feature(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential feature of any or all the claims.

After reading the specification, skilled artisans will appreciate that certain features are, for clarity, described herein in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any subcombination. Further, references to values stated in ranges include each and every value within that range. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A stud for a partition, comprising: at least two frame members coupled together by a compliant member to form a stud for a partition, the compliant member being formed from a material that is softer than the frame members, and the compliant member having: a density in a range of about 30 kg/m³ to about 600 kg/m³; a porosity in a range of about 10% to about 95%; and a Young's modulus in a range of about 10 kPa to about 5 MPa, at 20° C. and 1 Hz.
 2. The stud of claim 1, wherein each frame member has a generally U-shaped sectional profile and the compliant member is in a tension-compression configuration, or each frame member has a generally L-shaped sectional profile, and each frame member has a flange and a web, the webs are substantially parallel to each other, the flanges are substantially parallel to each other, and the webs are perpendicular to the flanges.
 3. The stud of claim 2, wherein each frame member has two flanges and a web connecting the two flanges, and the compliant member is located between one of the flanges of each frame member, such that the webs are substantially parallel to each other and all of the flanges are substantially parallel to each other.
 4. The stud of claim 3, wherein one flange of each frame member has a first length, and the other flange of each frame member has a second length that differs from the first length.
 5. The stud of claim 1, wherein the stud further comprises a third frame element, and the compliant member: (a) increases resilience between the frame members, (b) dampens structure-borne transmissions between the frame members, and (c) has a thermal conductivity that is lower than that of the frame members.
 6. The stud of claim 5, wherein the third frame element is joined to a first frame element with a first compliant member, and the third frame element is joined to a second frame element with a second compliant member.
 7. The stud of claim 6, wherein each of the first and second frame elements has a generally V-shaped sectional profile, and the third frame element has a generally C-shaped sectional profile.
 8. The stud of claim 7, wherein each of the first and second frame elements has a web and a flange, and the first and second compliant members are joined to the webs.
 9. The stud of claim 6, wherein each first frame element has a generally L-shaped sectional profile, the third frame element is flat, and the first and second compliant members are located on a same side of the third frame element and are spaced apart from each other.
 10. The stud of claim 1, wherein each frame member has a generally V-shaped sectional profile with a flange, a web extending from the flange, and a wing portion extending from the web, and the wing portions are joined together by the compliant member, such that the flanges are substantially parallel and the wing portions are substantially parallel.
 11. The stud of claim 1, wherein at least one of the frame members is scored with pre-cut slits, and wherein the compliant member comprises a resilient foam or adhesive tape comprising a plurality of layers, the resilient foam is a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl-chloride, polyethylene, acrylic and polyurethane, and the adhesive tape is a pressure sensitive adhesive comprising acrylic, butyl, rubber, epdm, eva, silicone, nitrile rubber or a hot melt adhesive.
 12. The stud of claim 1, wherein the density in a range of about 140 kg/m³ to about 500 kg/m³, and the porosity in a range of about 30% to about 80%.
 13. A partition, comprising: a first stud having a plurality of rigid first frame members coupled together by a compliant member; a second stud joined to the first stud to form a frame, the second stud having a plurality of rigid second frame members coupled together by another compliant member; the compliant members are formed from a material that is softer than that of the frame members, and the compliant members have: a density in a range of about 30 kg/m³ to about 600 kg/m³; a porosity in a range of about 10% to about 95%; and a Young's modulus in a range of about 10 kPa to about 5 MPa, at 20° C. and 1 Hz; and boards joined to the frame on opposite sides thereof to form the partition.
 14. The partition of claim 13, wherein each frame member has a generally U-shaped sectional profile in a tension-compression configuration, or each frame member has a generally L-shaped sectional profile, each frame member has a flange and a web, the webs are substantially parallel to each other, the flanges are substantially parallel to each other, and the webs are perpendicular to the flanges.
 15. The partition of claim 14, wherein each frame member has two flanges and a web connecting the two flanges, and the compliant members are located between one of the flanges of each frame member, such that the webs are substantially parallel to each other and all of the flanges are substantially parallel to each other.
 16. The partition of claim 15, wherein one flange of each frame member has a first length, and the other flange of each frame member has a second length that differs from the first length.
 17. The partition of claim 13, wherein the stud further comprises a third frame element.
 18. The partition of claim 17, wherein the third frame element is joined to a first frame element with a first compliant element, and the third frame element is joined to a second frame element with a second compliant element.
 19. The partition of claim 17, wherein each of the first and second frame elements has a generally V-shaped sectional profile, and the third frame element has a generally C-shaped sectional profile.
 20. The partition of claim 17, wherein each of the first and second frame elements has a web and a flange, and the first and second compliant elements are joined to the webs.
 21. The partition of claim 17, wherein each first frame element has a generally L-shaped sectional profile, the third frame element is flat, and the first and second compliant elements are located on a same side of the third frame element and are spaced apart from each other.
 22. The partition of claim 17, wherein the compliant members comprise a resilient foam or adhesive tape comprising a plurality of layers, and the compliant members: (a) increase a resilience between the frame members, (b) dampen structure-borne transmissions between the frame members, and (c) have a thermal conductivity that is lower than that of the frame members.
 23. The partition of claim 13, wherein at least one of the frame members is scored with pre-cut slits, the density of the compliant members is in a range of about 140 kg/m³ to about 500 kg/m³, and the porosity in a range of about 30% to about 80%.
 24. The partition of claim 13, wherein each of the compliant members is parsed into at least two separate pieces, such that an air gap extends between them. 